Best Digital Forensics Schools Near State College, PA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

State College, Pennsylvania has 1 accredited school offering digital forensics programs. State College has a population of about 40,669. Median household income is $47,132 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning digital forensics-related role is Information Security Analysts at a median $117,770 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Digital Forensics Schools to State College

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer digital forensics programs near State College, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from State College city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from State College. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 75.1 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,416
Avg net price $15,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA 114.7 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,742
Avg net price $37,730/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA 122.2 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,652
Avg net price $32,568/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, PA 124.8 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,105
Avg net price $23,003/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA 131.2 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,295
Avg net price $31,643/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA 137.2 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,537
Avg net price $18,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA 146.5 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
45.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,015
Avg net price $27,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,870
Out‑of‑state$39,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania digital forensics page.

Digital Forensics Wages Near State College

State College is part of the State College, PA metro area (BLS area code 44300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $117,770 PA statewide $121,663
Computer Occupations, All Other $97,920 State College, PA $101,157
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $90,250 State College, PA $93,233
Forensic Science Technicians $61,580 PA statewide $63,616
Computer Systems Analysts $84,330 State College, PA $87,118
Computer Network Support Specialists $64,040 State College, PA $66,157
Private Detectives and Investigators $51,200 PA statewide $52,893
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $78,520 State College, PA $81,116

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

State College at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,669 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,132 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 70.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other State College-Area Cities With Digital Forensics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited digital forensics schools are near State College, PA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering digital forensics programs near State College. The closest is Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania in Bloomsburg, PA (75.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (75.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying digital forensics roles near State College?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying digital forensics-related roles near State College are: Information Security Analysts ($117,770), Computer Occupations, All Other ($97,920), Detectives and Criminal Investigators ($90,250). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lewistown instead of State College?

Lewistown, PA is 20.0 miles from State College and has its own set of local digital forensics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is State College an affordable place to study digital forensics?

State College’s median household income of $47,132 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in State College while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Digital Forensics Programs

Other Programs Available in State College

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for State College:

Data verified: September 7, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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